Bell to sponsor Amateur Sport Bike National Championship
TORONTO, Ont. (May 29, 2014) – Bell Helmets, through its Canadian distributor Kimpex, will be sponsor of the 2014 Amateur Sport Bike class in the Mopar Canadian Superbike Championship national road race series. The class will be officially titled the Bell Helmets Amateur Sport Bike class.
“We are very excited to be part of the Mopar Canadian Superbike Championship and especially in the Amateur Sport Bike class,” said Michel Cote, Vice President of Sales for Kimpex. “Real efforts are put into this championship now to bring more people in the sport and it is important for us to be part of it. Bell Helmets has a rich racing heritage, and we’re proud to be including Canadian racing in that heritage.”
Based in Drummondville, Que., Kimpex has been a Canadian leader in the distribution of parts and accessories for recreational vehicles for 47 years. Bell Helmets was founded in California by Roy Richter in 1954.
“Kimpex and Bell Helmets are both significant additions to the Mopar Canadian Superbike Championship,” said Colin Fraser of Professional Motorsports Productions, which runs the national series. “We are confident that their participation will help grow road racing in Canada and add prestige to our Amateur Sport Bike class. The Bell name is synonymous with racing. When I started competing in the 1970s everyone wore a Bell helmet.”
Since its launch in 2003, the national Amateur Sport Bike Championship has become a key development ground for Canada’s top motorcycle road racers. Past class champions include current Pro stars Jodi Christie (2008), Raphael Archambault (2010) and Kristopher Garvie (2011). Mitch Card of Ripley, Ont. won last year’s Amateur Sport Bike crown after a thrilling duel with Schomberg, Ont. racer Marco Sousa. Card clinched the championship on a tiebreaker after he and Sousa tied on points with 156 each.
This year’s potential Bell Helmets Amateur Sport Bike champions include Tomas Casas, Steve Hamer, Tony Lanni, Stacey Nesbitt and Pedro Sousa.
Kimpex and Professional Motorsports Productions are also exploring further sponsorship options in the Mopar Canadian Superbike Championship through other brands it distributes.
Kimpex has recently added Shorai batteries and Supersprox sprockets to its line-up. Founded in 2010 and based in Sunnyvale, Calif., Shorai Inc. has become the world’s principle producer of prismatic cell, lithium iron phosphate power sports batteries. Supersprox is one of the world leaders in the production of performance sprockets and is a supplier to Honda-HRC, KTM sport motorcycles, Aprilia s.p.a., BMW a.g., MV Agusta s.p.a., Betamotor s.p.a. and other specialist brands.
The 2014 Mopar Canadian Superbike Championship opens at Shannonville Motorsport Park on June 6-8 and concludes with the traditional doubleheader at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park August 15-17.
Jordan Szoke is bidding for an unprecedented 10th national Superbike crown and third in a row this season with his BMW S1000RR.